Somerville House (Summerville), County Meath
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
“Somerville, Bt/PB; Agnew-Somerville, sub Agnew, Bt, of Clendry/PB) A Georgian house altered and greatly embellished in a later period, probably ca 1830. The alterations included moving the entrance to hat had been the back of the house, which became the new entrance front; of three storeys and five bays, with a single-storey Ionic portico. The former entrance became the garden front; though it is the same height as the rest of the house, it only has two storeys, so that the rooms on this side are much higher. It is of five bays with a central pedimented breakfront and a single-storey curved bow which is balustraded, like the main roof parapet. The principal reception rooms, with their high coved ceilings, have a palatial air; the ceiling plasterwork in the saloon and library is in the manner of Michael Stapleton and could be taken for late C18; but is more likely C19,. The drawing room has a domed ceiling rather in the manner of Sir Richard or William Vitruvius Morrison. Impressive stable yard, with battlemented octagon tower above pedimented archway. Someville was inherited by Quentin Agnew, nephew by marriage of Sir James Somerville, 6th Bt and 2nd (and last) Lord Athlumney. He consequently assumed the additional surname of Somerville; but has since sold the Somerville Estate.”
Record of Protected Structures:
Somerville, townland: Flemingstown, Kentstown, town: Kentstown.
Detached house, c.1730, five-bay, three-storey, semi circular bow to s front, two-storey stableyard, gateway lodge and walled garden.
Section 482 in 2000, Jennifer McGrath and Sean McGrath, 086 8245200 or 041 9825184
A coved ceiling at Somerville, County Meath. As has already been mentioned (see Rise Above It All, April 19th), the house dates from c.1730 but underwent considerable alteration about 100 years later when the entrance was moved from south to north front and a new hall created. Although the room containing this ceiling is now classified as the dining room, an examination of its decoration, which certainly looks to be pre-19th century, reveals clusters of musical instruments in each of the four corners. Might it therefore originally have been intended to serve as a ballroom?
Part of the coved ceiling in the drawing room of Somerville, County Meath. The house dates from c.1730 when it was built for Sir James Somerville, Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1736 and also sometime M.P. for the city. Towards the end of the century, further work was carried out by Sir James’ grandson and it appears the neo-classical plasterwork was added at that time into a space then serving as entrance hall (the entire building was subsequently turned back to front, thereby making this the drawing room). The result is an extravagance of floral garlands and arabesques, ostrich plumes and decorative flourishes together with the family coat of arms, all set inside a sequence of panels. The exceptional quality of the workmanship has led to suggestions the ceiling may have been executed by Dublin stuccodore Michael Stapleton (1747-1801).
https://theirishaesthete.com/tag/somerville/
A coved ceiling at Somerville, County Meath. As has already been mentioned (see Rise Above It All, April 19th), the house dates from c.1730 but underwent considerable alteration about 100 years later when the entrance was moved from south to north front and a new hall created. Although the room containing this ceiling is now classified as the dining room, an examination of its decoration, which certainly looks to be pre-19th century, reveals clusters of musical instruments in each of the four corners. Might it therefore originally have been intended to serve as a ballroom?
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014/10/1st-baron-athlumney.html
THE BARONS ATHLUMNEY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 10,213 ACRES
This is a branch of the very eminent Scottish family of SOMERVILLE.
The first of the family that settled in Ireland was
JAMES SOMERVILLE, of Tullykelter, County Fermanagh, who died in 1642.
His grandson,
THOMAS SOMERVILLE, a merchant of Dublin, married Sarah, sister of Alderman Robert King, of that city; and dying in 1718, left an only son,
SIR JAMES SOMERVILLE (c1698-1748), Knight, Alderman and Lord Mayor of Dublin, who was created a baronet in 1748, designated of Somerville, County Meath.
He wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Alderman William Quayle, of the same city, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
SIR QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 2nd Baronet (1714-72), of Brownstown, County Meath, who espoused firstly, Mary, only daughter and heiress of George Warburton, by whom he had three sons.
He married a second time, and had an only daughter, Martha, who wedded Gustavus, 5th Viscount Boyne.
Sir Quaile was succeeded by his eldest son,
SIR JAMES QUAILE SOMERVILLE, 3rd Baronet (c1742-c1802), of Somerville House, County Meath, who married, in 1771, Catherine, daughter of Sir Marcus Lowther-Crofton Bt, of The Moat, County Roscommon, by whom he had two sons, Marcus and James.
Sir James was succeeded by his eldest son,
SIR MARCUS SOMERVILLE, 4th Baronet (1772-1831), MP for County Meath, 1800, who married Mary Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Gorges-Meredyth Bt, and had issue,
WILLIAM MEREDYTH, his successor;
James Richard, lieutenant, Scots Greys.
Sir Marcus’s elder son,
THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM MEREDYTH SOMERVILLE, 5th Baronet (1802-73, was elevated to the peerage, in 1863, in the dignity of BARON ATHLUMNEY, of Somerville and Dollarstown, County Meath.
He married firstly, in 1832, the Lady Maria Harriet Conyngham, second daughter of Henry, 1st Marquess Conyngham, and had issue,
William Henry Marcus, died in infancy;
Elizabeth Jane.
His lordship wedded secondly, in 1860, Maria Georgiana Elizabeth, only daughter of Herbert George Jones, and had further numerous issue, including
JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, his successor;
Marcus Edward Francis Meredyth (1867-71).
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,
JAMES HERBERT GUSTAVUS MEREDYTH, 2nd Baron (1865-1929), who married, in 1919, Margery, daughter of Henry Boan, of Australia, though the marriage was without issue, and the titles expired.
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| Somerville House, County Meath |
Somerville House
Somerville House at Balrath, near Kentstown, was erected for Sir James Somerville in the early eighteenth century. Only the basement from that house survives today as the house was re-modelled at the end of the eighteenth century when the rooms on the south side were re-modelled. The house was re-orientated from back to front about 1831 to the design of Sir Richard Morrison. Rooms on the garden front are much higher than the entrance front as the garden front is two storey while the entrance front is three storey. The ceiling plasterwork in the salon and library is in the manner of Michael Stapleton and could be taken for late 18th century but is more likely to be early 19th century. The dining room has a domed ceiling. The main entrance to the house is through a grand stone archway named, Ivy Lodge. There is an impressive stable yard with a battlemented octagonal tower. There is a walled garden and there was a rose garden, pigeon house, ice house and bathing house. In front of the house the Nanny river was dammed to create a feature but also to provide a bathing place.
The Somervilles originally settled in Fermanagh at the time of the Ulster Plantation. Thomas Somerville purchased 1066 acres in Meath from the Forfeited Estates Court after the Battle of the Boyne.
In 1729 James Somerville became M.P. for Dublin City, a position he held until his death in 1748. In 1736 he was appointed Lord Mayor of Dublin. Shortly before his death James Somerville was made Baron of Somerville, Co. Meath in 1748. Sir James Somerville, 1st Baronet married Elizabeth Quaile in 1713. He died in 1748 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir Quaile Somerville, 2nd Baronet. Born in 1714 and dying in 1772 Sir Quaile married Sarah Towers and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir James Quaile Somerville, 3rd Baronet. Sir James Quaile Somerville, 3rd Bart was born about 1742. He married Catherine Crofton in 1770. Sir James erected the Church Tower and planted the avenue of lime trees. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th Baronet. Sir Marcus was born about 1772 and died in 1831. Sir Marcus married Mary Anne Meredyth, daughter and heiress of Sir Richard Gorges Meredyth, Baronet in 1801. He married Elizabeth Geale as his second wife in 1825. Sir Marcus was M.P. for Co. Meath in Irish Parliament in 1800 and in London Parliament 1801-31. From his election of 1826 there is an itemised bill for the entertainment of voters at a Trim inn. Sir Marcus provided room and board for the voters at the Trim inn and provided raw whiskey, punch, a free shave and haircut. He had trouble keeping the piper sober to play for his voters.
His son, William Meredyth Somerville, born about 1802 became 1st Baron Athlumney. In 1832 William married Lady Maria Henrietta Conyngham, daughter of Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess of Conyngham and his wife Elizabeth, who had been mistress to George IV. William served as Paid Attaché at Berlin, 1829-32. In 1837 Somerville House was described as the seat of Sir William Meredyth Somerville Bart. A fine mansion in an extensive demesne, it had been recently enlarged and improved, and a handsome entrance lodge erected, the grounds were embellished with an expansion of the Nanny water. He married secondly in 1860. Educated at Oxford, Sir William was returned to Parliament for Drogheda in 1837, a seat he held until 1852, and served under the Liberal Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, as Chief Secretary of Ireland from 1847 to 1852, during the worst of the Famine. He became M.P. for Canterbury in 1854 and continued as its M.P. until 1865. In 1863 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Athlumney of Somerville and Dollardstown and in 1866 he was created Baron Meredyth of Dollardstown. The Somerville family held part of the townland of Athlumney which gave them their title. The water spout with the lion’s head was erected by Sir William Somerville. The water supply is said to come from Trinity Well in the nearby woods. He had only one surviving son, James Herbert Gustavus Meredyth Somerville, born March 1865. He died at Dover in 1873 and was buried in Kentstown churchyard. In 1876 Lord Athlumney of Somerville held 10,213 acres in County Meath and 274 acres in County Dublin. James served in the Coldstream Guards and was with Kitchener in Egypt. When James was 53 he married a young Australian, Margery Honor Boan, but died without children ten years later, 1929. He was buried in Kentstown Churchyard and with him died the titles Baron Somerville and Baron Athlumney. Lady Athlumney never re-married and died in a swimming accident in the river Nanny in the grounds of Somerville House in July 1946 aged 45.
Somerville was inherited by Mr. Quentin Agnew, nephew by marriage to Sir James Somerville, 6th baronet and second and final Lord Athlumney. He took the name Somerville in 1950 but later sold the estate. The estate was broken up in the 1950s into six farms.A former Naval officer Sir Quentin pursued a career as an insurance consultant. His daughter Geraldine Somerville, who was born in Co. Meath, is an actress and has starred in the Harry Potter movies as Lily, Harry’s mother.
I was at the auction of the contents of the house and was particularly struck by the number of bells in the servant’s hallway. There was a bell for each room.
Irish Historic Houses 